Steve Clifford Could Miss Several Games
Magic coach Steve Clifford will miss tonight’s game against the Pacers after mixed results in his recent COVID-19 tests, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Clifford may be away from the team for multiple games while he remains under the league’s health and safety protocols, Woj adds.
Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will take over the team until Clifford returns (Twitter link). Corbin has head coaching experience with the Jazz and Kings and owns a 119-167 career record.
Clifford told reporters Saturday night that his coronavirus test on Thursday came back positive. He submitted two negative tests on Friday, but had another positive result on Saturday morning. He was tested again last night and is scheduled to undergo another today.
Clifford added that he feels fine and isn’t exhibiting any symptoms of the virus. He said the team has been in an enhanced protocol since an official tested positive after Tuesday’s game against the Hawks.
The 59-year-old coach got his second dose of the Moderna vaccine on Thursday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. However, he won’t be considered “fully vaccinated” until two weeks after his final shot, according to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I feel comfortable that I’m not really in danger,” Clifford said. “That with the fact that my temperature, my oxidation numbers, how I feel, I have no side effects right now, I’m very comfortable with that.”
LeBron James May Be Back Next Week
LeBron James could return from his high right ankle sprain as early as next week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Saturday’s pre-game show (hat tip to Justin Benjamin of Lakers Daily).
Wojnarowski was talking about Anthony Davis‘ minutes restriction in his second game since returning from his injuries and said Davis’ playing time will “start ramping up as we get closer to LeBron James’ return, which could be as soon as the following week.”
Woj’s outlook is much more optimistic than a report on Tuesday suggesting that James could still be weeks away from playing again.
James hasn’t played since hurting the ankle on March 20 in a collision with Hawks forward Solomon Hill, who was diving on the floor for a loose ball. James stayed in the game briefly, but an MRI showed the damage was significant.
The Lakers are 7-10 since James was injured and have fallen into a tight race for fifth place in the Western Conference.
Knicks To Sign Simisola Shittu To Two-Way Contract
The Knicks are expected to sign G League forward Simisola Shittu to a two-way contract, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Shittu will become the third member of the team’s G League affiliate in Westchester to occupy that two-way slot. Jared Harper was signed to a two-way deal in November, but had his contract converted to a 10-day deal on Friday. He was replaced by Myles Powell, who was waived earlier today. Begley points out that the Knicks like to provide financial rewards for their G League players, so it’s not clear if Shittu will remain on the roster long or if he’ll have a short stay like Powell.
Shittu, 21, went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2019 and played for Windy City in the G League last season before joining Westchester this year. He averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 53 total G League games.
The signing will give the Knicks a full roster, with Shittu and Theo Pinson occupying the two-way slots, Begley adds.
Michael Malone Calls Will Barton’s Hamstring Strain “Significant”
The strained hamstring that Nuggets swingman Will Barton suffered Friday night is “significant,” coach Michael Malone said, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Malone added that he doesn’t expect Barton to return for the “foreseeable future.”
The injury occurred in the opening minute of a loss at Golden State as Barton felt a pop in his right hamstring area. It’s the latest in a series of costly injuries for Denver, which lost Jamal Murray to a season-ending ACL tear and is also missing Monte Morris with a hamstring issue.
Barton is averaging 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists through 55 games and has taken on a more significant role since Murray got hurt. He has a $14.67MM player option for next season.
Barton pledged on Twitter to be back as soon as possible. “Lil setback. Be back soon,” he wrote. “Ain’t seen the last of me this season. GOD always looking out.”
The injuries may not affect the Nuggets’ playoff seeding as they are securely lodged in the fourth spot in the West, three games ahead of the Lakers and three and a half behind the Clippers. The bigger concern is how the team will handle the postseason if other players aren’t available in addition to Murray.
Malone was unhappy with the way his team responded Friday in the wake of Barton’s injury and said there has to be more focus, no matter who is on the court.
“It’s our job,” he said. “Do your job… No Jamal Murray, somebody’s gotta step in. No Monte Morris, no Will Barton, somebody’s gotta step in. And it starts with playing hard. We did not play hard enough tonight. … That was the worst part about the loss tonight was that, give them credit, they played well, but we did not bring the requisite energy, fight, effort, whatever you want to call it.”
Magic Coach Steve Clifford Tests Positive For COVID-19
7:11pm: Clifford held a Zoom call with reporters tonight, saying he has no COVID-19 symptoms and feels fine, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Clifford said he had a positive test Thursday night, followed by two negative tests Friday and another positive this morning. He underwent another test today and will be tested again Sunday morning.
Clifford added that one of the officials from Tuesday’s game in Atlanta tested positive for the virus, which put the Magic in an enhanced protocol (Twitter link). Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin would take over if Clifford isn’t cleared to coach Sunday (Twitter link).
“I don’t see a way that I coach tomorrow night. Monday, maybe,” Clifford said. “Then I guess if all these tests are negative it could be a chance by the time we go on the road.” (Twitter link)
5:40pm: Magic head coach Steve Clifford has returned a positive COVID-19 test, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that Clifford has received his first vaccine and is considered asymptomatic, and there’s hope that the test result is a false positive.
The Magic canceled today’s practice, according to Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), but a team official said they are hopeful they can play Sunday’s game against the Pacers.
Results of the test are considered inconclusive, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Clifford could be cleared to coach tomorrow night if he tests negative two times before the game begins.
Clifford, 59, is in his third season as head coach in Orlando.
Grizzlies Sign Tim Frazier For Rest Of Season
3:51pm: The team has confirmed the transaction via a press release.
3:15pm: The Grizzlies are signing reserve point guard Tim Frazier for the remainder of the season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Frazier’s second 10-day contract with the club expired on Friday night. He signed a 10-day with Memphis in January, then was re-signed in the middle of April.
Normally, teams can’t sign players to three 10-days in a season. Frazier would have be allowed to sign a third 10-day contract with Memphis because the first 10-day deal was completed using the team’s hardship exception and didn’t count toward the usual limit. However, the Grizzlies opted to give him a standard contract anyway.
He’s appeared in three games this season, averaging 1.3 PPG and 2.3 APG in 11.o MPG.
The well-traveled Frazier has also played for the Sixers, Blazers, Pelicans, Wizards, Bucks and Pistons. He went unselected in the 2014 draft.
Nets Officially Sign Mike James To 10-Day Contract
APRIL 24: Not that there was any doubt, but NBA.com’s official transactions log confirms it was Aldridge waived to make room for James.
APRIL 23: The Nets have officially signed Mike James to a 10-day contract, the team announced in a press release. The move had been expected once James cleared the league’s coronavirus testing protocols.
James, who averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 assists in 36 total games for Phoenix and New Orleans during the NBA’s 2017/18 season, has been playing in Europe since then. He was having a big year for CSKA Moscow this season, racking up 19.3 PPG and 5.7 APG in 27 EuroLeague contests (31.2 MPG), but was suspended indefinitely by the club following an altercation with head coach Dimitris Itoudis in late March.
Although CSKA Moscow’s contract with James runs through 2023, the team announced this week that it had reached an agreement to allow him to become a free agent until the end of the 2020/21 season, clearing the way for him to sign with an NBA team.
While the Nets’ official release confirms that James’ 10-day deal has been finalized, it doesn’t mention who was released to make room for him on the 15-man roster. It seems safe to assume that LaMarcus Aldridge was the player waived — he announced his retirement as a player last week.
It’s also still not entirely clear how James’ agreement with CSKA Moscow will work. The team’s statement didn’t give any indication that his multiyear contract has been terminated, but a EuroLeague club loaning a player to an NBA team isn’t exactly a common occurrence. We should get more clarity soon on James’ situation.
De’Aaron Fox Placed Under Protocols, Out At Least 10 Days
Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox is expected to miss 10-to-14 days after being placed under the league’s health and safety protocols, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets in conjunction with colleague Sam Amick.
Fox, who tweaked an ankle earlier this week, has been extremely durable this season. He’s appeared in 58 of 59 games, averaging 25.2 PPG and 7.2 APG. He’s been on a scoring tear lately with 30 or more points in six of the last nine games.
The loss of its top player could extinguish any hope of Sacramento making the play-in round. Even if Fox is only out 10 days, he’d miss five games. The Kings trail the 10th-place Warriors by five games in the standings.
Knicks Turn Jared Harper’s Two-Way Deal Into 10-Day Contract
6:09pm: It’s official, the team’s PR department tweets.
4:20pm: The Knicks are converting Jared Harper‘s two-way contract into a 10-day contract, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets. Since New York has an open spot on its 15-man roster, no corresponding move is required.
It’s likely that Harper will eventually receive a second 10-day, which would last until the end of the regular season or very close to it.
It’s a nifty raise for Harper. He was making $3,076 per day on his two-way. He will make $9,902 per day on a 10-day contract.
The 23-year-old point guard out of Auburn has made four brief appearances with New York. He saw action in three games with Phoenix last season.
Harper was claimed off waivers in June. Though he hasn’t seen much NBA action, he excelled in the G League season at the Orlando bubble. In 12 G League contests this season, Harper averaged 21.3 PPG and 7.0 APG and was named to the All-NBA G League First Team.
Harper spoke to Hoops Rumors earlier this season about his experience in the G League and the time he has spent on the Knicks’ roster.
Michael Foster Jr. Signs With G League Ignite
The G League Ignite has secured its first prospect for the 2021/22 season, announcing today in a press release that 6’8″ forward Michael Foster Jr. has signed with the team.
Foster, a five-star recruit, is listed by ESPN as the seventh-best prospect in this year’s high school class. He was named a McDonald’s All-American earlier this year after averaging 32.2 points and 18.4 rebounds per game as a senior at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix.
“I’m super ready to learn the NBA game and train like an NBA player from NBA guys while playing for NBA G League Ignite,” Foster said.
Foster also considered committing to Florida State or Georgia or playing for a year overseas, but ultimately opted for the G League’s professional path, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A source tells Spears that the young forward is expected to earn a salary in the $300K range.
The Ignite’s first season was thrown off track to some extent by the coronavirus pandemic, so we should get a better sense in ’21/22 of what a typical season will look like for the club, which will once again be made up of a combination of top prospects and veteran mentors.